SIR – Opponents of evolution only need to consider present-day bacteria and viruses to undermine their conviction (Letters, February 8). Bacteria and viruses have simpler genetic codes than higher forms of life and are, therefore, better able to evolve. Consequently, we now have forms that are resistant to modern drugs and capable of causing pandemics.

Creationists must explain where these troublesome bacteria and viruses

have been hiding (and multiplying) until their timely emergence to counter the effectiveness of modern drugs against their close relatives.

Acceptance that they have evolved in a way that makes them drug-resistant is a far more satisfactory explanation for their existence, and the process will continue as new drugs are developed.

Keith Parsons Solihull, West Midlands

SIR – If the creationists’ explanation is correct (Letters, February 8), this means that at least 150 years’ work by the theoretical geologists and their colleagues the geophysicists and geochemists has been a waste of time. The creator has arranged that rocks, deposits and fossils have all been made and laid down so as to fool tens of thousands of often very clever people to produce a nearly complete history of the earth from its formation.

Surely someone must have an idea why the creator should play such a huge confidence trick.

P H Seaman Winterbourne, Salisbury

SIR – Intelligent design is not creationism, nor is it a religious position. It is the application of design theory to the natural and living world. Intelligent design theorists point to the existence of precise physical laws and the fine tuning of universal constants, the staggering complexity and nanotechnology of the living cell, and the digitally-coded information content of DNA as evidence for a designing intelligence. The latter is particularly persuasive as all our experience indicates that information of the quality in DNA only arises from prior intelligence.

An intelligent design paradigm for nature could embrace evolutionary processes, though I doubt the scientific evidence sustains full-blown neo-Darwinism.

Dr Alastair Noble Eaglesham, Scotland

SIR – The theory of evolution seems to me generally logical and convincing. But one question is rarely asked: why was it only homo sapiens that got clever? Why, out of tens of thousands of possible species, was it acquired only by one small branch of the primate kingdom, which despite much abysmally stupid behaviour, has so far kept a monopoly of it?

M G Sherlock Colwyn Bay, Wales

Government is too liberal on lap dancing

SIR – The licensing of lap dancing clubs is woefully inadequate. They are part of the sex industry and promote the sexist view that women are sex objects. Yet since 2005 lap dancing clubs have been licensed in the same way as cafés and restaurants. Since then their number has doubled to over 300 clubs. Local communities have been powerless to stop the spread.

Following a campaign led by the Fawcett Society and Object, the Government plans to fix this with a new licensing category of Sex Encounter Venue. But their proposals don't go far enough. The new category will be optional and local councils won't have to adopt it.

This will create a patchwork of licensing regimes likely to be exploited by the lap dancing industry. Local communities will also face a postcode lottery as to whether they get a say in the licensing of lap dancing clubs and can raise objections on the grounds of gender equality. This clearly defeats the point of the reforms: to give all local communities a greater voice in the licensing of lap dancing clubs.

We urge the Government to make the new Sex Encounter Venue licensing category mandatory so that it applies universally across England and Wales. This will create an even playing field and still allow individual local communities to decide how many clubs they licence, and where they licence them. Universal reforms are crucial if the proposals are to deliver to all local people, not just some.

SIR – Having read Jenny Hannington's letter about the destruction of the Cuckoo Trail (Letters, February 1), I would like to add my comments on the senseless desecration by Three Rivers District Council that is taking place in Oxhey Woods, Hertfordshire, which my family has enjoyed for the past 27 years.

It is bringing the total removal of rhododendrons from a historical 250-acre woodland site. This is a conservation area and home to many species, including badgers, muntjacs, and even slowworm.

Huge earth diggers are destroying everything in their path, including healthy trees, left in mountains to rot. The damage is so extreme that only the hale and hearty can now make use of the woods, which will take many years to recover.

Needless to say, Three Rivers District Council is unrepentant.

Liz Hamilton-Smith Pinner, Middlesex

Consensus views

SIR – I enjoyed reading Libby Purves's speculation on what an extraterrestrial scout might report back to base about the situation here in Britain (New Review, February 8). However, I hope he would not have been so misled as to report that I claimed a socialist conspiracy was to blame.

Many things happen by a consensus rather than a conspiracy. Rats assemble in sewers, vultures surround a weakened animal and the Guardianist establishment similarly rises to defend the mob of foul-mouthed celebrity slobs which gathers to attack an elderly lady even by abusing her daughter.

Lord Tebbit London SW1

American torture

SIR – When it comes to torture, our special transatlantic relationship need not preclude the telling of home truths (Alasdair Palmer, Comment, February 8). It is one thing for Americans to turn a blind eye to the Bush administration's authorisation of torture, quite another to exult in a brazen display of double standards.

Last month the judiciary celebrated the first successful imprisonment as a result of a law permitting prosecution in America for torture committed overseas. The person imprisoned was the son of former Liberian President Charles Taylor.

To exempt members of the Bush administration from this torture law throws an unflattering light on American exceptionalism. If our Western ideals must be compromised for the sake of safety, let us at least be open about it.

Yugo Kovach Twickenham, Middlesex

Multi-faith nirvana

SIR – Michael Nazir-Ali (Comment, February 8) may be intrigued to learn that one of the first multi-faith rooms was opened at St Bartholomew's, Rochester, in 1986 after my application as the Chaplain for its funding.

It followed the same principle exhibited by Florence Nightingale of that altruistic Christian approach that is able to empathise with a human being's need for spiritual solace in trauma.

It would be offensive today for the NHS to provide Christian chapels alone, and it could not fund or allocate religious space for every faith, so the logical solution is multi-faith areas.

At best, these must be aesthetically uplifting, creating an escape from the agonies and fears of the moment to divine resources that aid the healing process.

Bishop Jonathan Blake Open Episcopal Church Welling, Kent

Think of the children

SIR – Liam Halligan (Business, February 8) made inspirational reading that oozed common economic sense in the face of what is being preached by so many experts. He, thank God, has reverted to talking good and sound sense in his article today relating to property matters.

My fear is for my children and grandchildren. They will be the ultimate sufferers if Gordon Brown's lunatic policy of low interest rates is followed, where as Mr Halligan so elegantly says the real issue is being avoided and inflation will inevitably follow. America with its vast resources can probably get away with this overspending policy. We, with our vast national debt that should include the off balance sheet borrowing, have no hope.

Michael Ward London, SW19

The virtue of pipes

SIR – I think I can help Nigel Farndale (Comment, February 8) in his brave struggle with cigarette smoking. He should change to smoking top-grade tobacco in a pipe.

I have done so myself to good effect, as you do not need to inhale to get the pleasure. This has kept me in good health for many years I'm still going strong well beyond the allotted span of three score years and ten.

James Thow Romsey, Hampshire

The case against choice in education

SIR - I read with interest Juliet Telford’s letter referring to “cramming gifted children in with middling students and the less able”. As a 15-year-old on the national gifted and talented register, I do agree that often in the comprehensive system the most effort is focused on bringing up the borderline students to a reasonable level, and that the more gifted are left to motivate themselves.

However, creaming off the more able to be taught separately is not the answer. This would result in a great loss of motivated students in the mainstream classroom and those thought less able, who often will have great potential but come from disadvantaged backgrounds, not having the chance of a good working environment which is the key to their own success.

Having experienced comprehensive education, it is quite plain that motivated students setting a good example, and therefore raising standards, can go very far in ensuring everyone can succeed.

Conrad LandinCouncillor for Fortune Green Camden Youth Council

Evading colds

SIR - Nightly gargling with salt water will give James Williams (Letters, February 1) adequate protection from colds and any other airborne bugs which threaten in an enclosed atmosphere.

J GreenLondon NW4

Punctuation failures

SIR – When I complained to a local private school about a sign saying “Visitors car park”, they altered it to “Visitor’s”. I gave up.

Edward Huxley Thorpe, Surrey

SIR – One of the textbooks my 11-year-old grandson has been issued with at school states there are three uses for apostrophes: one to indicate possession, one for missing letters and one to indicate a plural, such as 60s and 5s.

Not much hope for future generations there then.

Mary Richards Callington, Cornwall

Paid to divorce

SIR - My own 16-year-old simply asked me to divorce, so he could claim Educational Maintenance Allowance (Letters, February 8) and so that his mother could have a 4x4 in which to drive him to school “like the other kids”.

Jonathan Camp Camberley, Surrey

Thought police are wrong on Harry

SIR – No one is less in need of being sent on an equality and diversity course (announced this week) than Prince Harry, who, like his father, brother and the rest of his family does not have a racist bone in his body.

However, Army Chiefs of Staff, politicians, and all the rest who have surrendered to the political correctness zealots are in dire need of lessons in How Not to Perceive Offence in Every Innocent Remark. The PC brigade can, and invariably do, find offence in anything when they apply their very tiny minds to it.